"On the Rainy River" by Tim O'Brien perfectly illustrates the emotional burden of war, particularly the fear and shame felt by many many men who were forcibly drafted into the Vietnam War Looking at this text from a formalist perspective, through the use of plot, point of view, and the thoughts and actions of the protagonist, it is clear that. he predominant theme in this short story is the fear of shame no to plagiarism Get a custom essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned” Get an original essay Fear of shame is a notable theme. given that it is visible from the introduction of the story The story he is about to tell is a story he has never told for fear of embarrassment and one he hopes he can. lessen one's shame by putting it into words (O'Brien) This preface introduces the fear of shame as a dominant theme ever since. O'Brien alludes that his purpose in writing and telling this story is to convey a personal, shameful story and to allay his fear of that shame. Considering that this introduction expresses that the universal idea that will be explored in this story is that of the protagonist's feelings of guilt and fear of embarrassment, it is clear that the fear of shame is indeed a predominant theme in this story . After the theme is introduced in In the preface to this story, the fear of shame is further represented in O'Brien's thoughts and feelings. He says he doesn't want his family and community to be ashamed of him, saying, "I was ashamed of my conscience, I was ashamed of doing what was right." This statement shows that the only thing stopping O'Brien from following his conscience and fleeing to Canada was his fear of the embarrassment he might face from the people he knew and loved. He does not want to be humiliated by those close to him because he is afraid of being humiliated because of his morals which lack courage and patriotism. Therefore, the fear of shame is a crucial theme in this story as it controls O'Brien's thoughts and perspective. The relevance of this theme is further illustrated by its extensive effect on O'Brien's subconscious and decision-making. As he stands twenty meters above Canadian soil, his mind conjures up hallucinatory images of important people and events in his life. O'Brien states that he could hear them shaming him and said he "could not stand the mockery, nor the shame, nor the patriotic ridicule." This hallucination and O'Brien's inability to bear the humiliation demonstrate the influence of the fear of shame and its relevance as a theme. This theme is so compelling that O'Brien abandons his morals and goes to war. The protagonist's guilt and fear of humiliation are far greater than his fear of death, given his belief that murder and potential death are better than being humiliated. Given that O'Brien's fear of embarrassment causes hallucinations and causes him to value his integrity and image above his own life and well-being, it is palpable that fear of shame is a dominant theme of this story. Keep in mind: this is just a sample. Get a personalized essay from our expert writers now.Get a Custom EssayWhen you look at the formal aspects of “On Rainy River,” it is evident that the fear of shame is an important theme throughout the story. Having authority over O'Brien's emotions and subconscious, this theme greatly influences the plot, the protagonist's point of view, and even the author's purpose in writing this story. The formalist analysis of this,, 36(1), 83-96.